Importance of Hydrating in Hot Weather

Importance of Hydrating in Hot Weather

Large portions of the United States have been suffering through record-breaking heat waves, and the excessive temperatures increase the risk of dehydration, which means not having enough water in your brain and body to function normally.

Severe dehydration leaves the individual feeling incapacitated — dizzy, foggy and nauseated, even unconscious. But many people are slightly dehydrated – they’ll lose focus, they won’t sweat easily, and they may experience dry mouth, nose or eyes.

But there’s a deeper reason why you should make sure to include enough water intake each day. Depriving your brain of water over time starts to erode thinking, memory, and ability to maintain attention. When your body is dehydrated, you may experience things like muscle cramping, headaches, and poor digestion. It happens gradually and may not be noticed until it gets more obvious and can then be mistaken for other illnesses.

Many people will find that just increasing their water intake by a few glasses a day will help. But for most of us, not yet experiencing any harmful effects but still slightly water-deficient, we should aim to drink between six and twelve glasses of water each day to avoid any of the negative consequences of dehydration. An easy goal is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day.

And, the warmer the weather, the more you perspire, and the more you perspire, the more water you lose, and the more water you need to take in to replenish what you’ve lost. Many people recently have told me they don’t get why they are feeling different because they haven’t changed anything. The fact that they haven’t changed anything may be the problem. As the heat increases, we can’t drink the same amount of water that we did in January and expect to feel the same. When it’s hot outside, we are losing a lot more water during the day.

You might go from your air-conditioned office outside into the warm sunshine, only to get into your car which is overheated from baking in the sun – the variation in conditions dehydrates you, affecting the overall health and function of your brain.

Drink enough water during the hot weather, and be aware of the signs of dehydration, so you can recognize it and respond to it if you see it. Your brain and body will thank you if you just make small changes to improve your hydration level. If you increase hydration and still experience symptoms such as headaches or other aches and pains, reach out to us to set up a complimentary consultation. We would love to see if we can assist you and help you along the path to better health!

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Dr. Andrew Agasar is a third-generation chiropractor serving the Hatboro, Horsham, Warminster, Warrington, and Willow Grove communities. Our chiropractor and the rest of the team at Radiant Life Chiropractic are committed to providing high quality, affordable chiropractic care to address your unique needs.